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him, and we both went through a [drama]
program when we were at school... he
happens to be marrying a very good friend of
mine in a couple of weeks, and so there’s a
connection in a number of different facets of
our lives. Interestingly enough, he called me
when he got the script, quite a while before
I got it for the first test, and just said, “I’ve
got this AUSLAN script I need to learn,
I know you know it, can you come and
help?” So, I went over to his place and we
worked through it. But I was teaching him his
side of the script, and then when I got the
script a couple of weeks later, I looked it and
went, “I know this.”
04/ You’re a very accomplished theatre
and musical actor; what prompted you to
tackle a film at this point in your career?
It was the script itself. It was the content
of it, it was the emotion of it from the outset.
When I read it with TJ I just thought, this
is hilarious and beautiful and poignant all
at once, and that was it really. And, after
meeting Josh, then it was Josh.
05/ Did Josh ease the transition for you?
Yeah, absolutely. He was phenomenal.
He was so supportive. I know that’s partly
because he’s a wonderful man but also he’s
an actor, so he knows what that feels like,
too. I understood the concept, it was just the
terminology that – you know, there’s a whole
language that exists
in the theatre that’s
completely different
the film and TV worl
So, he was divine
about it.
01/ Did you ever think your love of
AUSLAN and acting would come
together in this way?
ERIN JAMES: No, absolutely not! I actually,
funnily enough, had a conversation with a
friend just this morning and he said to me,
“Who would have thought, all of these
years later, that those two things would
come together.”
02/ Did director Josh Lawson liaise
with you in any way about your scene
as it was being written, or did he
research it all himself?
He did it all on his own. The story he tells
is, he came up with the idea and thought
it would be a great for a story, and then he
visited the National Relay Service in Brisbane
and asked them about it. And, from what I
understand, it’s actually not an uncommon
event. I mean, I don’t think it necessarily
happens in the same way, but there are
conversations you can get yourself into
that are kind of awkward to interpret.
03/ You’ve known your co-star,TJ Power,
for many years?
TJ actually knew my brother before I knew
The Little Death
is out January 23
ERIN
JAMES
JB Hi-Fi
“A big hearted comedy full
of huge roars of laughter.”
– GILES HARDIE
Own it on Blu-Ray
& DVD 23 January
There is one scene in new Aussie dramedy The Little Death which is
capturing the attention of critics all over: a young deaf man uses the National
Relay Service’s Skype facility to request an interpreter connect him with a sex line.
It’s one of the most hilariously sweet things we’ve ever seen, and the actress who
plays the interpreter, Erin James – who is most well known for her performances
in theatre – has just been nominated for an AACTA award. Brilliant, especially
considering this was her first time in front of a camera.